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Multnomah County honors volunteers and receives Community Involvement Committee recommendations
Summary
At a board briefing, the county celebrated volunteers and the Community Involvement Committee presented seven recommendations to strengthen countywide engagement, urging code updates, more OCI capacity, and better feedback loops.
Multnomah County commissioners on Thursday gathered to recognize volunteers and hear an annual report and recommendations from the Community Involvement Committee, a volunteer advisory body that works with the county Office of Community Involvement.
The committee presented seven recommendations aimed at clarifying the Office of Community Involvement’s (OCI) role, boosting OCI staffing and training capacity, and creating standardized engagement tools and feedback loops across county departments. Renee Bell, co‑chair of the Community Involvement Committee, said the recommendations are intended to help the county embed consistent engagement practices across departments.
"OCI is a proud sponsor of the volunteer appreciation event," OCI Director Amara Perez told the board, marking her one‑year anniversary in the role. Perez and committee members emphasized the scale of volunteer contributions countywide — from animal shelter volunteers and library tutors to people supporting emergency shelters — and urged stronger, centralized supports so departments and advisory bodies can recruit, train and sustain volunteers.
The committee’s recommendations to the board include: updating county code to clarify OCI’s responsibility for community budget advisory committees (CBACs); continuing financial support so OCI can develop standards, training, recruitment support and liaison roles for commissioners; and directing OCI to implement centralized tools and feedback mechanisms for advisory bodies and department staff. Committee members said those first three board actions would enable OCI to carry out four additional recommendations focused on mission clarity, engagement standards, infrastructure for advisory bodies and communication tools.
The Community Involvement Committee reported recent activity and figures at the briefing: the county’s library system supports more than 1,100 volunteers; nearly 100 volunteers serve on budget advisory committees; and volunteer groups performed a range of functions, such as running shelter operations during severe weather. Chrishea Wood of the Department of County Human Services told the board that volunteers helped provide shelter for 2,261 people in fiscal year 2025 during severe weather events.
Committee co‑chairs and subcommittee leads described their process: they reviewed Multnomah County code, a 2021 resolution recommending department engagement plans, and previous CIC recommendations; held interviews with former commissioners and community engagement leaders; and considered targeted recruitment to improve demographic representation on committees. The committee reported it received 15 applications for five CIC openings this year and said it targeted outreach to underrepresented districts.
Board members thanked volunteers and committee members and asked about next steps and accountability. Multiple commissioners urged stronger feedback loops so volunteers and advisory boards can see how their recommendations are considered or implemented. Renee Bell said the CIC received a response from the board last year that addressed each recommendation and that the committee would like similar transparency going forward.
The board has already approved temporary staffing increases for OCI this year; committee members said that staffing boost has helped begin implementation of several recommendations. The committee also recommended additional investments in training for county staff and volunteers, clearer definitions of OCI mission and duties, and a centralized system to track volunteer and advisory resources across departments.
Looking ahead, the CIC said it will continue developing targeted outreach strategies, support for people with lived experience to participate in county decision‑making, and periodic evaluations of engagement practices across departments. The committee’s full subcommittee reports and recommended materials are available on the Office of Community Involvement web page, the presenters said.
The briefing concluded with an invitation to a volunteer reception and photo opportunity; the board then moved to its next agenda item on library security.
